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• How to write a literary analysis essay | A step-by-step guide

How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay | A Step-by-Step Guide

Published on January 30, 2020 by Jack Caulfield . Revised on August 14, 2023.

Literary analysis means closely studying a text, interpreting its meanings, and exploring why the author made certain choices. It can be applied to novels, short stories, plays, poems, or any other form of literary writing.

A literary analysis essay is not a rhetorical analysis , nor is it just a summary of the plot or a book review. Instead, it is a type of argumentative essay where you need to analyze elements such as the language, perspective, and structure of the text, and explain how the author uses literary devices to create effects and convey ideas.

Before beginning a literary analysis essay, it’s essential to carefully read the text and c ome up with a thesis statement to keep your essay focused. As you write, follow the standard structure of an academic essay :

• An introduction that tells the reader what your essay will focus on.
• A main body, divided into paragraphs , that builds an argument using evidence from the text.
• A conclusion that clearly states the main point that you have shown with your analysis.

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Table of contents

Step 1: reading the text and identifying literary devices, step 2: coming up with a thesis, step 3: writing a title and introduction, step 4: writing the body of the essay, step 5: writing a conclusion, other interesting articles.

The first step is to carefully read the text(s) and take initial notes. As you read, pay attention to the things that are most intriguing, surprising, or even confusing in the writing—these are things you can dig into in your analysis.

Your goal in literary analysis is not simply to explain the events described in the text, but to analyze the writing itself and discuss how the text works on a deeper level. Primarily, you’re looking out for literary devices —textual elements that writers use to convey meaning and create effects. If you’re comparing and contrasting multiple texts, you can also look for connections between different texts.

To get started with your analysis, there are several key areas that you can focus on. As you analyze each aspect of the text, try to think about how they all relate to each other. You can use highlights or notes to keep track of important passages and quotes.

Language choices

Consider what style of language the author uses. Are the sentences short and simple or more complex and poetic?

What word choices stand out as interesting or unusual? Are words used figuratively to mean something other than their literal definition? Figurative language includes things like metaphor (e.g. “her eyes were oceans”) and simile (e.g. “her eyes were like oceans”).

Also keep an eye out for imagery in the text—recurring images that create a certain atmosphere or symbolize something important. Remember that language is used in literary texts to say more than it means on the surface.

Narrative voice

Ask yourself:

• Who is telling the story?
• How are they telling it?

Is it a first-person narrator (“I”) who is personally involved in the story, or a third-person narrator who tells us about the characters from a distance?

Consider the narrator’s perspective . Is the narrator omniscient (where they know everything about all the characters and events), or do they only have partial knowledge? Are they an unreliable narrator who we are not supposed to take at face value? Authors often hint that their narrator might be giving us a distorted or dishonest version of events.

The tone of the text is also worth considering. Is the story intended to be comic, tragic, or something else? Are usually serious topics treated as funny, or vice versa ? Is the story realistic or fantastical (or somewhere in between)?

Consider how the text is structured, and how the structure relates to the story being told.

• Novels are often divided into chapters and parts.
• Poems are divided into lines, stanzas, and sometime cantos.
• Plays are divided into scenes and acts.

Think about why the author chose to divide the different parts of the text in the way they did.

There are also less formal structural elements to take into account. Does the story unfold in chronological order, or does it jump back and forth in time? Does it begin in medias res —in the middle of the action? Does the plot advance towards a clearly defined climax?

With poetry, consider how the rhyme and meter shape your understanding of the text and your impression of the tone. Try reading the poem aloud to get a sense of this.

In a play, you might consider how relationships between characters are built up through different scenes, and how the setting relates to the action. Watch out for  dramatic irony , where the audience knows some detail that the characters don’t, creating a double meaning in their words, thoughts, or actions.

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Your thesis in a literary analysis essay is the point you want to make about the text. It’s the core argument that gives your essay direction and prevents it from just being a collection of random observations about a text.

If you’re given a prompt for your essay, your thesis must answer or relate to the prompt. For example:

Essay question example

Is Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” a religious parable?

Your thesis statement should be an answer to this question—not a simple yes or no, but a statement of why this is or isn’t the case:

Thesis statement example

Franz Kafka’s “Before the Law” is not a religious parable, but a story about bureaucratic alienation.

Sometimes you’ll be given freedom to choose your own topic; in this case, you’ll have to come up with an original thesis. Consider what stood out to you in the text; ask yourself questions about the elements that interested you, and consider how you might answer them.

Your thesis should be something arguable—that is, something that you think is true about the text, but which is not a simple matter of fact. It must be complex enough to develop through evidence and arguments across the course of your essay.

Say you’re analyzing the novel Frankenstein . You could start by asking yourself:

Your initial answer might be a surface-level description:

The character Frankenstein is portrayed negatively in Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein .

However, this statement is too simple to be an interesting thesis. After reading the text and analyzing its narrative voice and structure, you can develop the answer into a more nuanced and arguable thesis statement:

Mary Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as.

Remember that you can revise your thesis statement throughout the writing process , so it doesn’t need to be perfectly formulated at this stage. The aim is to keep you focused as you analyze the text.

Finding textual evidence

To support your thesis statement, your essay will build an argument using textual evidence —specific parts of the text that demonstrate your point. This evidence is quoted and analyzed throughout your essay to explain your argument to the reader.

It can be useful to comb through the text in search of relevant quotations before you start writing. You might not end up using everything you find, and you may have to return to the text for more evidence as you write, but collecting textual evidence from the beginning will help you to structure your arguments and assess whether they’re convincing.

To start your literary analysis paper, you’ll need two things: a good title, and an introduction.

Your title should clearly indicate what your analysis will focus on. It usually contains the name of the author and text(s) you’re analyzing. Keep it as concise and engaging as possible.

A common approach to the title is to use a relevant quote from the text, followed by a colon and then the rest of your title.

If you struggle to come up with a good title at first, don’t worry—this will be easier once you’ve begun writing the essay and have a better sense of your arguments.

“Fearful symmetry” : The violence of creation in William Blake’s “The Tyger”

The introduction

The essay introduction provides a quick overview of where your argument is going. It should include your thesis statement and a summary of the essay’s structure.

A typical structure for an introduction is to begin with a general statement about the text and author, using this to lead into your thesis statement. You might refer to a commonly held idea about the text and show how your thesis will contradict it, or zoom in on a particular device you intend to focus on.

Then you can end with a brief indication of what’s coming up in the main body of the essay. This is called signposting. It will be more elaborate in longer essays, but in a short five-paragraph essay structure, it shouldn’t be more than one sentence.

Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein is often read as a crude cautionary tale about the dangers of scientific advancement unrestrained by ethical considerations. In this reading, protagonist Victor Frankenstein is a stable representation of the callous ambition of modern science throughout the novel. This essay, however, argues that far from providing a stable image of the character, Shelley uses shifting narrative perspectives to portray Frankenstein in an increasingly negative light as the novel goes on. While he initially appears to be a naive but sympathetic idealist, after the creature’s narrative Frankenstein begins to resemble—even in his own telling—the thoughtlessly cruel figure the creature represents him as. This essay begins by exploring the positive portrayal of Frankenstein in the first volume, then moves on to the creature’s perception of him, and finally discusses the third volume’s narrative shift toward viewing Frankenstein as the creature views him.

Some students prefer to write the introduction later in the process, and it’s not a bad idea. After all, you’ll have a clearer idea of the overall shape of your arguments once you’ve begun writing them!

If you do write the introduction first, you should still return to it later to make sure it lines up with what you ended up writing, and edit as necessary.

The body of your essay is everything between the introduction and conclusion. It contains your arguments and the textual evidence that supports them.

Paragraph structure

A typical structure for a high school literary analysis essay consists of five paragraphs : the three paragraphs of the body, plus the introduction and conclusion.

Each paragraph in the main body should focus on one topic. In the five-paragraph model, try to divide your argument into three main areas of analysis, all linked to your thesis. Don’t try to include everything you can think of to say about the text—only analysis that drives your argument.

In longer essays, the same principle applies on a broader scale. For example, you might have two or three sections in your main body, each with multiple paragraphs. Within these sections, you still want to begin new paragraphs at logical moments—a turn in the argument or the introduction of a new idea.

Robert’s first encounter with Gil-Martin suggests something of his sinister power. Robert feels “a sort of invisible power that drew me towards him.” He identifies the moment of their meeting as “the beginning of a series of adventures which has puzzled myself, and will puzzle the world when I am no more in it” (p. 89). Gil-Martin’s “invisible power” seems to be at work even at this distance from the moment described; before continuing the story, Robert feels compelled to anticipate at length what readers will make of his narrative after his approaching death. With this interjection, Hogg emphasizes the fatal influence Gil-Martin exercises from his first appearance.

Topic sentences

To keep your points focused, it’s important to use a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph.

A good topic sentence allows a reader to see at a glance what the paragraph is about. It can introduce a new line of argument and connect or contrast it with the previous paragraph. Transition words like “however” or “moreover” are useful for creating smooth transitions:

… The story’s focus, therefore, is not upon the divine revelation that may be waiting beyond the door, but upon the mundane process of aging undergone by the man as he waits.

Nevertheless, the “radiance” that appears to stream from the door is typically treated as religious symbolism.

This topic sentence signals that the paragraph will address the question of religious symbolism, while the linking word “nevertheless” points out a contrast with the previous paragraph’s conclusion.

Using textual evidence

A key part of literary analysis is backing up your arguments with relevant evidence from the text. This involves introducing quotes from the text and explaining their significance to your point.

It’s important to contextualize quotes and explain why you’re using them; they should be properly introduced and analyzed, not treated as self-explanatory:

It isn’t always necessary to use a quote. Quoting is useful when you’re discussing the author’s language, but sometimes you’ll have to refer to plot points or structural elements that can’t be captured in a short quote.

In these cases, it’s more appropriate to paraphrase or summarize parts of the text—that is, to describe the relevant part in your own words:

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The conclusion of your analysis shouldn’t introduce any new quotations or arguments. Instead, it’s about wrapping up the essay. Here, you summarize your key points and try to emphasize their significance to the reader.

A good way to approach this is to briefly summarize your key arguments, and then stress the conclusion they’ve led you to, highlighting the new perspective your thesis provides on the text as a whole:

If you want to know more about AI tools , college essays , or fallacies make sure to check out some of our other articles with explanations and examples or go directly to our tools!

• Ad hominem fallacy
• Post hoc fallacy
• Appeal to authority fallacy
• False cause fallacy
• Sunk cost fallacy

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By tracing the depiction of Frankenstein through the novel’s three volumes, I have demonstrated how the narrative structure shifts our perception of the character. While the Frankenstein of the first volume is depicted as having innocent intentions, the second and third volumes—first in the creature’s accusatory voice, and then in his own voice—increasingly undermine him, causing him to appear alternately ridiculous and vindictive. Far from the one-dimensional villain he is often taken to be, the character of Frankenstein is compelling because of the dynamic narrative frame in which he is placed. In this frame, Frankenstein’s narrative self-presentation responds to the images of him we see from others’ perspectives. This conclusion sheds new light on the novel, foregrounding Shelley’s unique layering of narrative perspectives and its importance for the depiction of character.

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Caulfield, J. (2023, August 14). How to Write a Literary Analysis Essay | A Step-by-Step Guide. Scribbr. Retrieved April 12, 2024, from https://www.scribbr.com/academic-essay/literary-analysis/

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8.15: Sample Student Literary Analysis Essays

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• Heather Ringo & Athena Kashyap
• City College of San Francisco via ASCCC Open Educational Resources Initiative

The following examples are essays where student writers focused on close-reading a literary work.

While reading these examples, ask yourself the following questions:

• What is the essay's thesis statement, and how do you know it is the thesis statement?
• What is the main idea or topic sentence of each body paragraph, and how does it relate back to the thesis statement?
• Where and how does each essay use evidence (quotes or paraphrase from the literature)?
• What are some of the literary devices or structures the essays analyze or discuss?
• How does each author structure their conclusion, and how does their conclusion differ from their introduction?

Example 1: Poetry

Victoria Morillo

Instructor Heather Ringo

3 August 2022

How Nguyen’s Structure Solidifies the Impact of Sexual Violence in “The Study”

Stripped of innocence, your body taken from you. No matter how much you try to block out the instance in which these two things occurred, memories surface and come back to haunt you. How does a person, a young boy , cope with an event that forever changes his life? Hieu Minh Nguyen deconstructs this very way in which an act of sexual violence affects a survivor. In his poem, “The Study,” the poem's speaker recounts the year in which his molestation took place, describing how his memory filters in and out. Throughout the poem, Nguyen writes in free verse, permitting a structural liberation to become the foundation for his message to shine through. While he moves the readers with this poignant narrative, Nguyen effectively conveys the resulting internal struggles of feeling alone and unseen.

The speaker recalls his experience with such painful memory through the use of specific punctuation choices. Just by looking at the poem, we see that the first period doesn’t appear until line 14. It finally comes after the speaker reveals to his readers the possible, central purpose for writing this poem: the speaker's molestation. In the first half, the poem makes use of commas, em dashes, and colons, which lends itself to the idea of the speaker stringing along all of these details to make sense of this time in his life. If reading the poem following the conventions of punctuation, a sense of urgency is present here, as well. This is exemplified by the lack of periods to finalize a thought; and instead, Nguyen uses other punctuation marks to connect them. Serving as another connector of thoughts, the two em dashes give emphasis to the role memory plays when the speaker discusses how “no one [had] a face” during that time (Nguyen 9-11). He speaks in this urgent manner until the 14th line, and when he finally gets it off his chest, the pace of the poem changes, as does the more frequent use of the period. This stream-of-consciousness-like section when juxtaposed with the latter half of the poem, causes readers to slow down and pay attention to the details. It also splits the poem in two: a section that talks of the fogginess of memory then transitions into one that remembers it all.

In tandem with the fluctuating nature of memory, the utilization of line breaks and word choice help reflect the damage the molestation has had. Within the first couple of lines of the poem, the poem demands the readers’ attention when the line breaks from “floating” to “dead” as the speaker describes his memory of Little Billy (Nguyen 1-4). This line break averts the readers’ expectation of the direction of the narrative and immediately shifts the tone of the poem. The break also speaks to the effect his trauma has ingrained in him and how “[f]or the longest time,” his only memory of that year revolves around an image of a boy’s death. In a way, the speaker sees himself in Little Billy; or perhaps, he’s representative of the tragic death of his boyhood, how the speaker felt so “dead” after enduring such a traumatic experience, even referring to himself as a “ghost” that he tries to evict from his conscience (Nguyen 24). The feeling that a part of him has died is solidified at the very end of the poem when the speaker describes himself as a nine-year-old boy who’s been “fossilized,” forever changed by this act (Nguyen 29). By choosing words associated with permanence and death, the speaker tries to recreate the atmosphere (for which he felt trapped in) in order for readers to understand the loneliness that came as a result of his trauma. With the assistance of line breaks, more attention is drawn to the speaker's words, intensifying their importance, and demanding to be felt by the readers.

Most importantly, the speaker expresses eloquently, and so heartbreakingly, about the effect sexual violence has on a person. Perhaps what seems to be the most frustrating are the people who fail to believe survivors of these types of crimes. This is evident when he describes “how angry” the tenants were when they filled the pool with cement (Nguyen 4). They seem to represent how people in the speaker's life were dismissive of his assault and who viewed his tragedy as a nuisance of some sorts. This sentiment is bookended when he says, “They say, give us details , so I give them my body. / They say, give us proof , so I give them my body,” (Nguyen 25-26). The repetition of these two lines reinforces the feeling many feel in these scenarios, as they’re often left to deal with trying to make people believe them, or to even see them.

It’s important to recognize how the structure of this poem gives the speaker space to express the pain he’s had to carry for so long. As a characteristic of free verse, the poem doesn’t follow any structured rhyme scheme or meter; which in turn, allows him to not have any constraints in telling his story the way he wants to. The speaker has the freedom to display his experience in a way that evades predictability and engenders authenticity of a story very personal to him. As readers, we abandon anticipating the next rhyme, and instead focus our attention to the other ways, like his punctuation or word choice, in which he effectively tells his story. The speaker recognizes that some part of him no longer belongs to himself, but by writing “The Study,” he shows other survivors that they’re not alone and encourages hope that eventually, they will be freed from the shackles of sexual violence.

Works Cited

Nguyen, Hieu Minh. “The Study” Poets.Org. Academy of American Poets, Coffee House Press, 2018, https://poets.org/poem/study-0 .

Example 2: Fiction

Todd Goodwin

Professor Stan Matyshak

Advanced Expository Writing

Sept. 17, 20—

Poe’s “Usher”: A Mirror of the Fall of the House of Humanity

Right from the outset of the grim story, “The Fall of the House of Usher,” Edgar Allan Poe enmeshes us in a dark, gloomy, hopeless world, alienating his characters and the reader from any sort of physical or psychological norm where such values as hope and happiness could possibly exist. He fatalistically tells the story of how a man (the narrator) comes from the outside world of hope, religion, and everyday society and tries to bring some kind of redeeming happiness to his boyhood friend, Roderick Usher, who not only has physically and psychologically wasted away but is entrapped in a dilapidated house of ever-looming terror with an emaciated and deranged twin sister. Roderick Usher embodies the wasting away of what once was vibrant and alive, and his house of “insufferable gloom” (273), which contains his morbid sister, seems to mirror or reflect this fear of death and annihilation that he most horribly endures. A close reading of the story reveals that Poe uses mirror images, or reflections, to contribute to the fatalistic theme of “Usher”: each reflection serves to intensify an already prevalent tone of hopelessness, darkness, and fatalism.

It could be argued that the house of Roderick Usher is a “house of mirrors,” whose unpleasant and grim reflections create a dark and hopeless setting. For example, the narrator first approaches “the melancholy house of Usher on a dark and soundless day,” and finds a building which causes him a “sense of insufferable gloom,” which “pervades his spirit and causes an iciness, a sinking, a sickening of the heart, an undiscerned dreariness of thought” (273). The narrator then optimistically states: “I reflected that a mere different arrangement of the scene, of the details of the picture, would be sufficient to modify, or perhaps annihilate its capacity for sorrowful impression” (274). But the narrator then sees the reflection of the house in the tarn and experiences a “shudder even more thrilling than before” (274). Thus the reader begins to realize that the narrator cannot change or stop the impending doom that will befall the house of Usher, and maybe humanity. The story cleverly plays with the word reflection : the narrator sees a physical reflection that leads him to a mental reflection about Usher’s surroundings.

The narrator’s disillusionment by such grim reflection continues in the story. For example, he describes Roderick Usher’s face as distinct with signs of old strength but lost vigor: the remains of what used to be. He describes the house as a once happy and vibrant place, which, like Roderick, lost its vitality. Also, the narrator describes Usher’s hair as growing wild on his rather obtrusive head, which directly mirrors the eerie moss and straw covering the outside of the house. The narrator continually longs to see these bleak reflections as a dream, for he states: “Shaking off from my spirit what must have been a dream, I scanned more narrowly the real aspect of the building” (276). He does not want to face the reality that Usher and his home are doomed to fall, regardless of what he does.

Although there are almost countless examples of these mirror images, two others stand out as important. First, Roderick and his sister, Madeline, are twins. The narrator aptly states just as he and Roderick are entombing Madeline that there is “a striking similitude between brother and sister” (288). Indeed, they are mirror images of each other. Madeline is fading away psychologically and physically, and Roderick is not too far behind! The reflection of “doom” that these two share helps intensify and symbolize the hopelessness of the entire situation; thus, they further develop the fatalistic theme. Second, in the climactic scene where Madeline has been mistakenly entombed alive, there is a pairing of images and sounds as the narrator tries to calm Roderick by reading him a romance story. Events in the story simultaneously unfold with events of the sister escaping her tomb. In the story, the hero breaks out of the coffin. Then, in the story, the dragon’s shriek as he is slain parallels Madeline’s shriek. Finally, the story tells of the clangor of a shield, matched by the sister’s clanging along a metal passageway. As the suspense reaches its climax, Roderick shrieks his last words to his “friend,” the narrator: “Madman! I tell you that she now stands without the door” (296).

Roderick, who slowly falls into insanity, ironically calls the narrator the “Madman.” We are left to reflect on what Poe means by this ironic twist. Poe’s bleak and dark imagery, and his use of mirror reflections, seem only to intensify the hopelessness of “Usher.” We can plausibly conclude that, indeed, the narrator is the “Madman,” for he comes from everyday society, which is a place where hope and faith exist. Poe would probably argue that such a place is opposite to the world of Usher because a world where death is inevitable could not possibly hold such positive values. Therefore, just as Roderick mirrors his sister, the reflection in the tarn mirrors the dilapidation of the house, and the story mirrors the final actions before the death of Usher. “The Fall of the House of Usher” reflects Poe’s view that humanity is hopelessly doomed.

Poe, Edgar Allan. “The Fall of the House of Usher.” 1839. Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia Library . 1995. Web. 1 July 2012. < http://etext.virginia.edu/toc/modeng/public/PoeFall.html >.

Example 3: Poetry

Amy Chisnell

Professor Laura Neary

Writing and Literature

April 17, 20—

Don’t Listen to the Egg!: A Close Reading of Lewis Carroll’s “Jabberwocky”

“You seem very clever at explaining words, Sir,” said Alice. “Would you kindly tell me the meaning of the poem called ‘Jabberwocky’?”

“Let’s hear it,” said Humpty Dumpty. “I can explain all the poems that ever were invented—and a good many that haven’t been invented just yet.” (Carroll 164)

In Lewis Carroll’s Through the Looking-Glass , Humpty Dumpty confidently translates (to a not so confident Alice) the complicated language of the poem “Jabberwocky.” The words of the poem, though nonsense, aptly tell the story of the slaying of the Jabberwock. Upon finding “Jabberwocky” on a table in the looking-glass room, Alice is confused by the strange words. She is quite certain that “ somebody killed something ,” but she does not understand much more than that. When later she encounters Humpty Dumpty, she seizes the opportunity at having the knowledgeable egg interpret—or translate—the poem. Since Humpty Dumpty professes to be able to “make a word work” for him, he is quick to agree. Thus he acts like a New Critic who interprets the poem by performing a close reading of it. Through Humpty’s interpretation of the first stanza, however, we see the poem’s deeper comment concerning the practice of interpreting poetry and literature in general—that strict analytical translation destroys the beauty of a poem. In fact, Humpty Dumpty commits the “heresy of paraphrase,” for he fails to understand that meaning cannot be separated from the form or structure of the literary work.

Of the 71 words found in “Jabberwocky,” 43 have no known meaning. They are simply nonsense. Yet through this nonsensical language, the poem manages not only to tell a story but also gives the reader a sense of setting and characterization. One feels, rather than concretely knows, that the setting is dark, wooded, and frightening. The characters, such as the Jubjub bird, the Bandersnatch, and the doomed Jabberwock, also appear in the reader’s head, even though they will not be found in the local zoo. Even though most of the words are not real, the reader is able to understand what goes on because he or she is given free license to imagine what the words denote and connote. Simply, the poem’s nonsense words are the meaning.

Therefore, when Humpty interprets “Jabberwocky” for Alice, he is not doing her any favors, for he actually misreads the poem. Although the poem in its original is constructed from nonsense words, by the time Humpty is done interpreting it, it truly does not make any sense. The first stanza of the original poem is as follows:

’Twas brillig, and the slithy toves

Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;

All mimsy were the borogroves,

An the mome raths outgrabe. (Carroll 164)

If we replace, however, the nonsense words of “Jabberwocky” with Humpty’s translated words, the effect would be something like this:

’Twas four o’clock in the afternoon, and the lithe and slimy badger-lizard-corkscrew creatures

Did go round and round and make holes in the grass-plot round the sun-dial:

All flimsy and miserable were the shabby-looking birds

with mop feathers,

And the lost green pigs bellowed-sneezed-whistled.

By translating the poem in such a way, Humpty removes the charm or essence—and the beauty, grace, and rhythm—from the poem. The poetry is sacrificed for meaning. Humpty Dumpty commits the heresy of paraphrase. As Cleanth Brooks argues, “The structure of a poem resembles that of a ballet or musical composition. It is a pattern of resolutions and balances and harmonizations” (203). When the poem is left as nonsense, the reader can easily imagine what a “slithy tove” might be, but when Humpty tells us what it is, he takes that imaginative license away from the reader. The beauty (if that is the proper word) of “Jabberwocky” is in not knowing what the words mean, and yet understanding. By translating the poem, Humpty takes that privilege from the reader. In addition, Humpty fails to recognize that meaning cannot be separated from the structure itself: the nonsense poem reflects this literally—it means “nothing” and achieves this meaning by using “nonsense” words.

Furthermore, the nonsense words Carroll chooses to use in “Jabberwocky” have a magical effect upon the reader; the shadowy sound of the words create the atmosphere, which may be described as a trance-like mood. When Alice first reads the poem, she says it seems to fill her head “with ideas.” The strange-sounding words in the original poem do give one ideas. Why is this? Even though the reader has never heard these words before, he or she is instantly aware of the murky, mysterious mood they set. In other words, diction operates not on the denotative level (the dictionary meaning) but on the connotative level (the emotion(s) they evoke). Thus “Jabberwocky” creates a shadowy mood, and the nonsense words are instrumental in creating this mood. Carroll could not have simply used any nonsense words.

For example, let us change the “dark,” “ominous” words of the first stanza to “lighter,” more “comic” words:

’Twas mearly, and the churly pells

Did bimble and ringle in the tink;

All timpy were the brimbledimps,

And the bip plips outlink.

Shifting the sounds of the words from dark to light merely takes a shift in thought. To create a specific mood using nonsense words, one must create new words from old words that convey the desired mood. In “Jabberwocky,” Carroll mixes “slimy,” a grim idea, “lithe,” a pliable image, to get a new adjective: “slithy” (a portmanteau word). In this translation, brighter words were used to get a lighter effect. “Mearly” is a combination of “morning” and “early,” and “ringle” is a blend of “ring” and "dingle.” The point is that “Jabberwocky’s” nonsense words are created specifically to convey this shadowy or mysterious mood and are integral to the “meaning.”

Consequently, Humpty’s rendering of the poem leaves the reader with a completely different feeling than does the original poem, which provided us with a sense of ethereal mystery, of a dark and foreign land with exotic creatures and fantastic settings. The mysteriousness is destroyed by Humpty’s literal paraphrase of the creatures and the setting; by doing so, he has taken the beauty away from the poem in his attempt to understand it. He has committed the heresy of paraphrase: “If we allow ourselves to be misled by it [this heresy], we distort the relation of the poem to its ‘truth’… we split the poem between its ‘form’ and its ‘content’” (Brooks 201). Humpty Dumpty’s ultimate demise might be seen to symbolize the heretical split between form and content: as a literary creation, Humpty Dumpty is an egg, a well-wrought urn of nonsense. His fall from the wall cracks him and separates the contents from the container, and not even all the King’s men can put the scrambled egg back together again!

Through the odd characters of a little girl and a foolish egg, “Jabberwocky” suggests a bit of sage advice about reading poetry, advice that the New Critics built their theories on. The importance lies not solely within strict analytical translation or interpretation, but in the overall effect of the imagery and word choice that evokes a meaning inseparable from those literary devices. As Archibald MacLeish so aptly writes: “A poem should not mean / But be.” Sometimes it takes a little nonsense to show us the sense in something.

Brooks, Cleanth. The Well-Wrought Urn: Studies in the Structure of Poetry . 1942. San Diego: Harcourt Brace, 1956. Print.

Carroll, Lewis. Through the Looking-Glass. Alice in Wonderland . 2nd ed. Ed. Donald J. Gray. New York: Norton, 1992. Print.

MacLeish, Archibald. “Ars Poetica.” The Oxford Book of American Poetry . Ed. David Lehman. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2006. 385–86. Print.

Attribution

• Sample Essay 1 received permission from Victoria Morillo to publish, licensed Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International ( CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 )
• Sample Essays 2 and 3 adapted from Cordell, Ryan and John Pennington. "2.5: Student Sample Papers" from Creating Literary Analysis. 2012. Licensed Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported ( CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 )

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8th Grade Essay: Examples, Topics, & Writing Tips

If you find yourself on this page, you are probably going to another level of your education – the final year of Middle school!

Isn’t it exciting?

One of the most common assignments in the 8th grade is an essay. Indeed, it gains new features. An eighth-grade essay is not the same as the sixth or seventh-grade one. It has more requirements and needs a deeper level of analysis.

How to write an 8th-grade essay? How many paragraphs should it contain? What is a standard 8th-grade essay format? On this page, you’ll find the answers to these and other questions that might arise. We’ve prepared creative 8th-grade essay topics, examples, and tips to write an A+ informative, narrative, or persuasive essay.

• 🧩 8th Grade Essay 101
• 📑 8th-Grade Essay Types
• 💾 Topics for the 8 th -Graders

🍎 8th Grade Essay Examples

🧩 8th-grade essay format explained.

Once again: the 8th-grade essay format is a bit different from that of the previous years.

Below, we thoroughly explain how long an 8th-grade essay should be and how to write it. We guarantee you’ll have no questions about the format and assessment of this type of work.

What Is the 8 th Grade Essay Format?

In this section, you’ll know which parts comprise any 8th-grade essay.

The first thing to remember: you’ve got onto an entirely new level. So, your writing isn’t as simple and short as it used to be in the previous school years.

Let’s start with the structure. The fundamental parts are the same as in any type of essay:

8th Grade Essay: How to Write & Typical Mistakes

With the help of this section, you’ll get to know the most straightforward and helpful tips for 8th-grade essay writing.

These are the things that any 8th grader should know!

8 th Grade Essay Do’s

• Look for reliable sources to find arguments and evidence.
• Try to arouse eagerness for writing: it surely will ease the whole process for you.
• Choose the topic that is interesting for you if you have such an option.
• Use academic language, special terms, consistent phrases, and correct grammar.
• Use good quotations from reputable sources to solidify your ideas.

8 th Grade Essay Don’ts

• Don’t write dully: an essay is a story. It should be exciting and consistent.
• Don’t make all your examples too similar: diversity is of the essence.
• Don’t let your text look like an unreadable pile of words: use graphic tools to highlight the most critical points.
• Don’t use unreliable sources and websites for citation.
• Don’t be afraid of honest self-expression. Your identity and thoughts are what make your 8th-grade essay unique.
• Don’t forget to revise your text after you’ve finished writing it.

8th Grade Essay Rubric

Meet the assessment strategies for 8th-grade writing. Here you’ll also find some prompts that improve your essay and lead you to a higher score.

So, the assessment pattern of a written piece comprises several main points. These are the things that assessors pay attention to:

📑 Eighth Grade Essay Types

We suppose that you come across different types of assignments during middle school. Among them, there indeed were descriptive and narrative essays.

However, now you are to face other exciting formats of writing. In the section below, you’ll get to know a few new types.

8th Grade Argumentative Essay

An argumentative essay is a piece of writing where you make a claim and prove your point of view with solid arguments. Your aim at this point is to make readers nod in contempt while reading and share your opinion.

The structure may be pretty familiar to you:

In your argumentative essay, you should back up your opinion with some exact data: statistics, figures, research studies, and polls.

To solidify your claim, you can use three types of arguments:

• Aristotelian . The classical way – you make a statement and try to persuade the audience that it is the one that is fair and right.
• Rogerian . First, you display an issue, then present the opposing view. After that, reveal your own opinion and start convincing readers why they should take up your point.
• Toulmin . Present your thesis statement, then provide the audience with the grounds to support it. The final touch is to connect these parts.

PRO TIP: Explain why you disagree with the opposing point of view on your issue.

8th Grade Persuasive Essay

A persuasive essay is very similar to argumentative writing. There you have to pick up a mainly burning issue and establish a firm opinion towards it. The primary goal is the same as in the argumentative essay: to make your readers believe you.

Remember the three essentials of persuasive writing:

• Logos appeals to logic, which is apparent. Deliver your thoughts cohesively and reasonably.
• Ethos is about persuading the readers, appealing to their sense of ethics and morality.
• Pathos helps you convince through emotions.

8th Grade Essay – Informative

An expository essay brings concepts to complete understanding. In other words, you explain something to give a clue about the subject in question. Successful expository writing makes the audience get the whole picture, leaving no questions or misunderstandings.

To familiarize yourself with expository essay structure, check our recently updated guide on writing an expository essay .

And briefly look at six major types of expository essays:

💾 8th Grade Essay Topics

8th grade argumentative essay topics.

• What is the main challenge you’ve ever met?
• What was the happiest moment of your childhood?
• Tell about the accomplishment you’re most proud of.
• What are the personal qualities you like most?
• Write about an inspiring celebrity.
• What does emotional intelligence mean?
• Write about the largest challenge of getting older.
• How is adolescence different from childhood?

Read the list of topics we’ve prepared for an 8th-grade essay. Choose your favorite or use our Free Essay Topics Generator to find the best one.

Persuasive Essay Topics for 8th Grade

• Would limited screen time be beneficial for health?
• Will the global use of electric vehicles save us from the ecological crisis?
• The government should provide citizens with more qualified psychological help.
• What are the pros and cons of buying a pet for a child?
• Should people use paper and textile bags instead of plastic ones?
• Is it necessary to attend PE classes in school?
• Is it ethical to use smartphones during the lesson?
• Should parents forbid their children from watching TikTok?
• Pros and cons of cheating on exams: immoral or beneficial?
• Should there be only healthy snack vending machines at schools?
• Is it acceptable for a teacher to raise the voice at a student?
• Should modern rappers’ songs be put through censorship?
• Is it ethical for students to discuss their teachers?
• Should all cosmetic products become cruelty-free?
• Should we stop the overconsumption of sugar for the sake of our health?
• Should zoos and circuses be banned forever?

8th Grade Informative Essay Topics

• Compare and contrast the environmental policies of the USA and Europe.
• What are the harmful effects of CO 2 emissions on the environment?
• How is the concept of freedom reflected in 20th-century literature?
• Reveal the details of the famous friendship of Hemingway and Fitzgerald.
• Brush off or fight: how to act when you come across bullying at school?
• What are the most significant challenges school attendees usually face?
• How to overcome your fears without getting traumatized?
• How to prepare for the exam period and overcome anxiety?
• Freedom or despair: the history and concept of trailer parks in the USA.
• Explain the concept of sustainability and what benefits it has.
• Provide a classification of American lifestyles based on location.
• A reasonable person: describe the concept and the features.

Look at our 8th grade essay examples. These are mostly just excerpts, but we included the most significant parts. Approach us in case you need a similar paper or have any questions.

8th Grade Argumentative Essay Example (#1)

The most notorious substance in the ecological discourse: is CO 2 really that bad?

Did you know that it’s better for the earth if you work out or jog with your mouth tightly shut? It’s not common knowledge, but professionals know: we need a considerable amount of CO 2 in our blood. In some terms, it’s even more vital than oxygen. Undoubtedly, there has to be a proper balance, and here is the point: CO 2 can be beneficial.

Though what good does it make to nature and the environment?

It’s all the same as with our body: CO 2 is not evil on earth, but there must be a proper balance. Now, this balance is critical, and we must make serious efforts to change the situation.

• According to last year’s research, the USA is in the second place among countries producing the most significant part of CO 2 in the whole world. The website statista.com published striking figures. 4.57 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions were produced in 2020 by the energy consumption sphere in the United States.
• Besides, a recently published report from the IEA agency reveals another piece of statistics. Compared to the previous year, the amount of CO 2 emissions will rise to 5% in 2021. This year we’re facing 33 billion tons of this greenhouse gas.
• These figures mean nothing without context. Here you are: nature suffers greatly from CO 2 influence. Due to the greenhouse effect caused by an excess of CO 2 , the water temperature in oceans and seas is rising. This process is not positive at all because the natural habitat for sea creatures is altering. The changes are dramatic and lead to the extinction of many species.

In conclusion, we need to find an efficient way to improve the ecological situation regarding CO 2 emissions. The key is global social and individual awareness and consciousness. Each and every inhabitant of the Earth has to understand the meaning of CO 2 for global warming clearly. So, try to jog with your lips closed and choose a bike instead of a car.

Example #2: 8th Grade Persuasive Essay

Is it essential to stay away from social media for the sake of mental health?

Nielsen Company conducted research that says that the average US adult spends more than 10 hours interacting with social media each day. Indeed, social media plays a very considerable role in the life of a modern person. Most of us are more likely to spend time watching short videos than reading a good book. But is it harmful to our mental health to the extent that we have to quit using social media platforms?

To my mind, we are greatly dependent on our Instagram and TikTok accounts, and the content posted there. It certainly has a negative impact, too. However, the complete cancellation of social media is not a way out. The key to good mental condition is in the skill of managing your relations with them.

• One of the recent surveys by the Lancet reports that Facebook users who scroll the newsfeed before sleep tend to be more depressed. Apparently, the deprivation of sleep affects mental well-being to a great extent.
• FInancesOnline has recently posted the results of the research. According to this data, Facebook constitutes 72% of people’s FOMO and anxiety. Posts about traveling and active social life create most of these feelings.
• At the same time, healthy rivalry can motivate development and growth. There’s a reasonable quotation saying that one should compare themselves yesterday instead of comparing to others. The best thing one can do to take care of their mental health is to take a digital detox for a while.

Thus, it is vital to trace your obsessions with social media and negative feelings caused by comparison with others on the Internet. Try to get more aware of it, take your time to rest from social media, and plunge into real life.

5 Paragraph Essay Example for 8th Grade (#3)

The Financier and American Tragedy : compare and contrast two main characters of Dreiser’s novels.

Do you know that Theodore Dreiser is sometimes called an American Fyodor Dostoevsky? Both writers touched upon the most sensitive social and existential issues. However, the subject of this paper is not the comparison of the authors but two famous Dreiser characters: Clyde Griffiths and Frank Cowperwood.

Both of these young American men were striving to reach financial and social success in a world of brutal struggle and hardships.

• Clyde Griffiths represents the desperate strive for American Dream. Born in a poor and religious family, he grows greedy for money and status. In his blind obsession with gaining a high social position, he doesn’t notice his spiritual degradation. He is smart enough to struggle his way into high society but not so witty to solidify his standing with decent means. He cheats, lies, and finally commits a murder: Clyde seems to be already born guilty at times. On reading the story, there doesn’t appear any sympathy toward him. On the contrary, he provokes feelings of abomination and disgust.
• Frank Cowperwood also aims to become wealthy and socially firm. He wants to improve his family’s life quality. Still, his ways and means astonish. Frank is a natural-born predator and strategist. His sophistication and sharp wit show up in him since his very childhood. He isn’t a man of high moral standards: Frank doesn’t mind cheating on his wife and manipulating city treasure money. However, he’s a passionate man, honest and open in his heart urges and impulses. That is the reason why fortune favors him.

However, having similar goals but different personalities and mindsets, Griffiths and Cowperwood reach completely different destination points.

How to Write an Essay in 8th Grade?

– You should pick up a good topic and formulate your attitude to the problem. – Write an outline. – Make a clear and brief thesis statement. – Think of at least 3 firm arguments if the essay type demands it. – Impress your readers with a firm conclusion. Voila! Do not forget to proofread!

How Long Is an Essay in 8th Grade?

The length of the 8th-grade essay slightly depends on the format and the particular type of writing. However, it varies from approximately 500 to 800 words. Within this framework, you have to make yourself clear and deliver all necessary points.

How Many Sentences Are in a Paragraph for 8th Grade?

The size of a paragraph in the 8th-grade essay has to be not less than 8 sentences in each. Besides that, mind that the sentences are primarily compound or complex, error-free, and coherent. Also, remember to connect the sentences and paragraphs with particular language means.

How to Write an Argumentative Essay in 8th Grade?

Choose an exciting and acute topic. Make up a thesis statement out of the problem. Draft an outline or a brief plan. Explore some reliable sources for the evidence and arguments for your essay. Organize the facts and information into a cohesive structure.

I’m an 8th grade student at a private school, and my teacher assigns us up to 4-6 pages most to write. First of all we get other essays on top of this, and usually have nearly to a week to finish. Me and my classmates struggle with this. Do you guys think this is too much for an average 8th grade student?

i am writin apaper right now and it is averreding and its about the changes we woud make to our cafeteria it has to be 5 paragraphs long

Thanks for stopping by at our blog. We would be happy to help you with your paper. You can be interested in some other posts on this blog (https://overnightessay.com/blog/category/essay-tips/) or contact our friendly Support Team to get professional writign help from experienced writers. Good luck with your paper! Best regards,

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<strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong> <strong>Writing</strong> <strong>Unit</strong><strong>8th</strong> <strong>Grade</strong> <strong>–</strong><strong>Unit</strong> Description (overview):After literary analysis of a text, students will develop an argument that demonstrates a relationship between theanalyzed text's theme and character development. The argument will develop through close re-reading of a textpreviously read independently or in reading groups. The argument’s claim will evolve from oral and writtenresponses that push the students to elaborate and explore their initial thinking. In the course of the literary essay,the student writer will acknowledge and distinguish the argument’s claim from alternate or opposing claims aboutcharacter and theme. Student essayists will select multiple types of evidence (quotes, word choice, literarydevices) throughout the text in order to support their claims and to explore author intent. Students will studymentor essays to review how to present evidence with explanation and clarification to create a cohesive, logicalargument. They also will utilize literary essay elements (introduction, with thesis statement including claim, bodyparagraphs, and concluding statements) with a focus on maintaining formal style and using varied transitions.<strong>Unit</strong> Assessment TaskAfter reading a text, study and consider the themes presented by the author throughout the text. After makinginferences about what the author wanted readers to understand, determine how the author reveals a themethrough character development. Then, determine a relationship between theme and character development tocreate an arguable claim about the theme. Use textual evidence to support the claim(s) as you construct a literaryessay. Utilize the writing process, especially drafting, revision and conferencing, in order to create a cohesiveargument worthy of sharing with others.Formative Assessment Options:● Annotated reading(s)● Collection of theories● Creating a thesis paragraph including a claim Collection of evidence● Sorting and sifting for most useful evidence● Drafts of body paragraphs practicing various writing strategies● Revision and editing copies of the literary essaySummative Assessment:● Final, polished literary essay● Metacognitive Reflection on <strong>Writing</strong> DecisionsProcess:<strong>Writing</strong> a literary essay using theme and character development to support a chosen argumentBy generating responses that explore connections between theories of character and themeBy collecting textual evidence of author’s intent by rereading for quotes, word choice, and literary devicesBy reading mentor literary essays to study the validity of chosen evidenceBy drafting multiple paragraphs to develop explanation of evidence to create a chosen argumentBy revising and editing for varied transitions and precise language to maintain cohesiveness and formal styleThis document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 1

Key Concepts● Analysis of Literature● <strong>Essay</strong> structure● Multiple claims● Author intent● Textual evidence● Direct quotes● Paraphrasing● Valid reasoning● Audience● Transitions● Formal style● Drafting● RevisingEssential Questions● How do writers find meaning by studying the relationships between character and theme?● How do writers use various types of evidence to support their claim?● How do writers structure and organize literary essays?● How do writers connect evidence to their claim to create cohesion?Enduring Understandings/Overarching Questions• <strong>Literary</strong> essayists read a text for meaning. They track ideas, notice author’s decisions and gather detailsas they read. They reread for a deeper meaning. They analyze their noticings to create theories aboutthe text. They present their theories through an essay. They understand that there are multiple ways tosupport the theory’s claims. They make decisions about which types of evidence and paragraphs bestsupport their claim.●How do writers respond to literature?Intellectual Processes● Identifying and using writing conventions of a mode● Synthesizing multiple claims related to the development of theme● Formulating claims that can be proven through textual evidence● Identifying and employing various types of evidence● Sorting and sifting valid evidence● Analysis of mentor literary essays● Application of literary essay writing strategiesResourcesThis document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 2

Lattimer, Heather. Thinking Through Genre: <strong>Unit</strong>s of Study in Reading and <strong>Writing</strong> Workshops 4-12. Portland:Stenhouse, 2003.Calkins, Lucy. <strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong>s: <strong>Writing</strong> About Reading. Portsmouth: FirstHandout, 2006.Johnston, Peter H. Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children's Learning. Portland: Stenhouse, 2004.More than Form: Teaching Analytic <strong>Essay</strong>s about Literature to High School Writers by Andrew MorabitoHolewa, Randa. Strategies for <strong>Writing</strong> a Conclusion. Welcome to LEO: Literacy Education Online. The WritePlace, Feb. 2004. Web. 05 Nov. 2011. Preface:Each session was designed for approximately a 55 minute class period. Use your discretion if students needextra time to both see a strategy modeled multiple times and/or practice the strategy.Throughout the unit the short story “Gift of the Magi” by O.Henry is the text referenced as the anchor text inteacher examples. A version can be found at: http://www.auburn.edu/~vestmon/Gift_of_the_Magi.htmlConsider whether your students have a common story or text that you can apply to the lessons for classmodeling.Teachers could read Chapter 6 of Thinking Through Genre to guide their reading lessons prior and to help scaffold intothis work.If your class read a short story or whole class novel earlier, use the common text for modeling the writing of the essay. Ifthis has not occurred, consider inserting time here to read a short text together to use for modeling.Consider making the charts referenced in the lesson below to hang up in the classroom. These charts will prompt students’thinking and remind students of the important clues the author of the text provides to help identify themes in the text.Likely, they will have many of these moments tagged with sticky notes or mentioned in reading journal entries.• Definition of an “inference”: “An inference is a logical conclusion not directly confirmed by the author. It isbased on clues from the text and personal connections made by the reader. Inferences are sometimes hard to makebecause the author doesn’t come right out and confirm the reader’s conclusions.” Pg 101, Tovani, I Read It, But IDon’t Get It• (Students may be familiar with thesis statements. A thesis statement is usually broader than a claim [it maycontain the reason or explanation for why the author thinks the claim, or statement, is true] but for consistency andalignment with the Core Standards, a claim and thesis are roughly the same.)This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 3

Teaching Points<strong>Grade</strong> 8 <strong>Literary</strong> AnalysisBUILDING THEORIES1. <strong>Literary</strong> essayists write and talk about a text in order to draw inferences between a story’s characters andits themes.2. 2.1 <strong>Literary</strong> essayists test their theories by looking for examples from the text that serve as evidence. They lookclosely at character development, key words, pivotal moments in the plot, and figurative language.2.2 <strong>Literary</strong> essayists read and re-read to identify connections in the text that confirm or disconfirm theirtheories, and they may change their theories based on the further evidence they identify and connect.3. 3.1 <strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong>ists review their evidence and create a claim about a theme that can be supported by theevidence they have collected.3.2 <strong>Literary</strong> essayists read and reread to identify connections in the text that confirm or disconfirm their theories.They alter their theories based on the evidence they identify and connect.ORGANIZING EVIDENCE TO SUPPORT CLAIMS4. <strong>Literary</strong> essayists identify reasons and examples to explain and support the claim. They evaluate their examples toidentify which examples best support and explain their claim.5. 5.1 <strong>Literary</strong> essayists re-read to find additional evidence to support the reasons and the claim5.2 <strong>Literary</strong> essayists evaluate their examples to identify which examples best support the claim and if additional ordifferent examples need to be selected from the text.DRAFTING AND MANAGING TYPES OF EVIDENCE6. <strong>Literary</strong> essayists consider the impact of presenting evidence through an extended example.7. 7.1 <strong>Literary</strong> essayists connect examples to make a key point that shows the relationship between ideas.7.2 <strong>Literary</strong> essayists connect examples to argue for a relationship between ideas.8. <strong>Literary</strong> essayists select and organize their evidence to create a plan for drafting. They organize the reasons thatexplain the claim in in a way that logically builds their argument.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 4

9. <strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong>ists introduce their essay by connecting to readers, including a short summary of the text, andpresenting the argument through a claim statement.10. <strong>Literary</strong> essayists reread their first draft (introduction and body paragraphs); then they determine the typeof concluding paragraph to write.REVISING AND EDITING11. <strong>Literary</strong> essayists use peer reviewers to identify strengths and set goals to revise using literary devices to helppersuade the audience.12. <strong>Literary</strong> essayists study grammar usage rules commonly used in essays: commas, ellipsis and dashes to indicate apause, break or omission. They use this knowledge to edit their essay.13. <strong>Literary</strong> essayists make decisions in a final draft to maintain formality and cohesion: a title, citation of evidence, andformatting.14. <strong>Literary</strong> essayists reflect on their writing decisions and the impact of those decisions.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 5

BUILDINGTHEORIES Session 1ConceptTeachingPointResponding to Character and Theorizing About a Theme<strong>Literary</strong> essayists write and talk about a text in order to draw inferences between a story’scharacters and its themes.PreparationSuggestedMaterialsTeachingPointCopies of the following handouts: (or prepare to project on an overhead)• Prompts to Push Thinking• Finding Support for Theories• Copy ending of Gift of Magi or other anchor text• Students’ individual texts, read in the previous unit, with notes, bookmarks, or post-its• Notebooks, or piece of paper to use as an “exit slip” for assessment purposes• Anchor text● <strong>Literary</strong> essayists write and talk about a text in order to draw inferences between astory’s characters and its themes.TEACHER MODEL AND THINK-ALOUD• Review teaching point• Explain that readers develop theories about the author’s purpose by noticing authordecisions about character, plot, and literary devices such as figurative language. Readerconnect these author decisions to draw an inference about its themes.• Point students to “The Gift of the Magi” or the alternative anchor text.• Ask students to name some “big ideas” that the story seems to be about. Ask for singleword,abstract concepts such as “sacrifice,” “love,” “selfishness.” Write these on the board.ActiveEngagementIndependentPractice• In partnerships or small groups, ask students to look at the words on the board and forma theory about the story’s meaning (theme). The story’s characters and their actions,thoughts, and feelings should support the theory.• Have groups report out their theories on the board. Do not judge or rule out anytheories at this point.• When finished, share two of your own theories about a theme from the anchor text.• Direct students to take out their individual texts. Have them repeat what you modeled inActive Engagement: jot down three or four “big idea” words that their text seems to beabout.• Next, using the “Prompts to Push Thinking” handout, have students choose three or soprompts (or give them a time limit—perhaps 10 minutes, depending on their fluency)and write a response to each in their notebooks. The teacher should circulate to makeThis document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 6

sure the students are writing about their own texts, not the anchor text used by theteacher to model thinking.• Now, ask students to spend time reviewing the responses (sticky notes, handouts,graphic organizers, etc.) to their texts they collected in the previous unit, as well as thenew responses generated from the “Prompts to Push Thinking” handout, to create twoor three theories about character and theme from their independent text.Share • Before the end of the session, ask a few students to share any “ah-ha” moments as theydug deeper into understanding their texts. You may encourage students to use oralprompts such as: “At first I thought my character …. but now I think…” or “I realized…”Assessment/Extension • Have students hand in one of their theories on piece of paper (an “exit slip”) that theymust hand you on the way out the door.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 7

BUILDINGTHEORIES Session 2ConceptTeachingPointFinding Support for Theories<strong>Literary</strong> essayists test their theories by looking for examples from the text that serve asevidence. They read and re-read to identify connections in the text that confirm or disconfirmtheir theories, and may change their theories based on the further evidence they identify andconnect.Preparation • Exit slips with student theories, handed in from Session One. Hand back to studentswith your questions on them, prompting them to think deeper (one-word questionssuch as “Why?” or “How” can be effective).• Make copies of Finding Support for Theories handout. Prepare to project the handoutrevealing only the first row of the examples from the anchor text filled in.• This session may take more than one class periodSuggestedMaterials• Students’ individual texts, read in the previous unit, with notes, bookmarks, or post-its• Copy of anchor textTeachingPoint 1<strong>Literary</strong> essayists test their theories by looking for examples from the text that serve asevidence. They look closely at character development, key words, pivotal moments in the plot,and figurative language.TEACHER MODEL AND THINK-ALOUD• Review teaching point.• Projecting the handout “Finding Support for Theories—Teaching Example,” reviewthe rows that you have filled out about your anchor text: the theory, the evidence,and the larger meaning (theme)ActiveEngagementAs a whole class on the overhead, complete the remaining row using the anchor text.IndependentPracticeShare• Direct students to take out their individual texts.• Individually (or in partnerships or small groups, if students have read a common text),students begin filling out the Finding Support for Theories handout. Do not allow toomuch time for this—you will give them more time to complete it during the remainder ofthe session, or for homework.Teacher asks two or three students to share a theory, one example, and the larger meaning.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 8

TeachingPoint 2IndependentPractice 2Share<strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong>ists read and re-read to identify connections in the text that confirm or disconfirmtheir theories. They change their theories based on the evidence they identify and connect.TEACHER MODEL AND THINK-ALOUD• Review teaching point.• Tell them that, like scientists, we will test our theory by reviewing the evidence. If atheory sounds good but has very few examples throughout the text to support it, theymay need to change their theory.• Projecting the handout “Finding Support for Theories—Teaching Example,” think aloudabout which theory you think could best be supported.• Discuss changes you could make to your theory to strengthen it.Using their individual texts, have students complete the Finding Support for Theories in smallgroups or individually. They should complete it before Session 3.Ask for volunteers to share an example of a theory that they changed, and why they changed it.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 9

ORGANIZINGEVIDENCETO SUPPORTCLAIMSConceptTeachingPointSession 3From Theory to Claim<strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong>ists review their evidence and create a claim about a theme that can besupported by the evidence they have collected. They read and reread to identifyconnections in the text that confirm or disconfirm their theories. They alter theirtheories based on the evidence they identify and connect.PreparationSuggestedMaterialsHandouts to have copied:• Collecting Evidence handout, or projected. Sample answers provided for “Gift ofthe Magi.”• Collecting Evidence handout (blank, for students)• Students’ individual texts, read in the previous unit, with notes, bookmarks, orpost-its• Anchor textTeachingPoint 1<strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong>ists create a claim about a theme that can be supported by the evidencethey have collected.TEACHER MODEL AND THINK-ALOUD• Review teaching point• Define a claim as a statement that expresses the theory the writer will try toprove. A theory is a question; a claim is a stand, one that will be argued in therest of the essay• Using the teacher-created theories about the anchor text, think aloud how youmight connect theories or big ideas to create a claim.For example: “Jim and Della demonstrate their love through selfless acts.”ActiveEngagement 1• Partner students and give them about five minutes to come up with a differentclaim about the anchor text. Encourage them to come up with claims thatexplore different themes or meanings than the one you modeled. Themes aboutpoverty and innocence could be explored in “The Gift of the Magi,” for example.• When completed, ask for volunteers to write their claim on the board.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 10

Discuss the claims written on the board. Can they be supported by the way thecharacters are developed in the text? Are they arguable? Have inferences beenmade?IndependentPractice 1• Using their individual texts, students generate two claims about theme andcharacter in their individual texts, based on “Finding Support for Theories”handout completed in Session Two and on any additional thinking they havedone.TeachingPoint 2<strong>Literary</strong> essayists read and reread to identify connections in the text that confirm ordisconfirm their theories. They alter their theories based on the evidence they identifyand connect.TEACHER MODEL AND THINK-ALOUD• Review teaching point• Project or hand out “Collecting Evidence (Teacher Example)” you have filled outon the anchor text.• Model how you gathered a variety of types of evidence to support the claim.Think aloud as you discuss how the claim is or is not supported by the examples.• If possible, alter the claim to reflect the examples.ActiveEngagementAssessment/ExtensionHave students form partnerships or small groups. Hand out a blank copy of CollectingEvidence on Claims: The Gift of the Magi. Ask small groups to come up with a differentclaim than the one you modeled and then have them collect supporting evidence for it.For homework, have students complete “Collecting Evidence to Support a Claim—Individual Texts”.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 11

ORGANIZINGEVIDENCE TOSUPPORTCLAIMSConceptTeachingPointSession 4Identifying Reasons and Evaluating Evidence<strong>Literary</strong> essayists identify reasons and examples to explain and support the claim. Theyevaluate their examples to identify which examples best support and explain their claim.Preparation • Copies of Identifying Reasons to Support a Claim handout• Two, student-completed Collecting Evidence for Claims—Individual Texts (collected atthe beginning of Session 4 or end of Session 3)SuggestedMaterialsTeachingPoint 1• Individual texts• Anchor text<strong>Literary</strong> essayists identify reasons and examples to explain and support the claim.TEACHER MODEL AND THINK-ALOUD• Review teaching point• Project Identifying Reasons to Support a Claim handout. Using the anchor text, talkthrough your thinking about each of the three questions. Teacher example not providedhere.• The goal is to push thinking to explain why the claim is true. Each explanation becomes areason, which could serve as the topic sentence of each body paragraph.IndependentPractice 1Share• Handout Identifying Reasons to Support a Claim. Ask students to complete itindividually, then share responses with a partner to help them generate three reasonsthat could support their claim.Ask for a few volunteers to share their claim and their three reasons. Talk through theirreasons, and whether they are broad enough. Often students struggle to find a reasonthat is not an example, or they just restate their claim in a different way.TeachingPoint 2<strong>Literary</strong> essayists evaluate their examples to identify which examples best support and explaintheir claim.TEACHER MODEL AND THINK-ALOUD• Review teaching pointThis document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 12

• Project a student “Collecting Evidence” handout, collected from students at end ofSession 3/beginning of this session 4. Talk through the student’s evidence. Is it the bestexample of what the student is trying to prove in the claim? Are there additionalexamples that could be used to support it? Are there a variety of types of examples (keywords, events, direct quotes, literary devices) used to support it?ActiveEngagement• Hand out Collecting Evidence—student sample #2 (not provided: see preparation notesabove), with student name removed, if desired. In pairs, ask students to evaluate theevidence and to highlight or underline the two pieces of evidence that best support theclaim.• Discuss as a whole class. Ask if some examples should be eliminated or replaced, and/orif they need to be supported with additional examples to prove the claim.• Point out that good evidence comes from 1) throughout the text, and is not found in justone place; and 2) comes from a variety of types of evidence.AssessmentHave students turn in their Identifying Reasons to Support a Claim sheet that they completedtoday in class. Before the next session, assess whether students are grasping the concept of areason in support of a claim.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 13

ORGANIZINGEVIDENCE TOSUPPORTCLAIMSConceptSession 5Re-reading to Find Evidence for ReasonsTeachingPoint<strong>Literary</strong> essayists re-read to find additional evidence to support the reasons and theclaim. <strong>Literary</strong> essayists evaluate their examples to identify which examples bestsupport the claim and if additional or different examples need to be selected from thetext.Preparation • Assessed handout students passed in at conclusion of Session 4 (Identifying Reasons toSupport a Claim). Write a comment or two on each one, giving guidance and suggestionsfor their reasons. Select (and prepare to project) some strong examples of claims andsupporting reasons. Select (and prepare to project) two examples that could beimproved.• <strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong>: Rough Plan handout, one for each student. Completed plans could serveas the Mid-<strong>Unit</strong> assessment.SuggestedMaterialsTeachingPoint1• Individual texts<strong>Literary</strong> essayists re-read to find additional evidence to support the reasons and the claim.TEACHER MODEL AND THINK-ALOUD• Review teaching point• Pass back students’ work from Session 4 (Identifying Reasons…)• Project strong student examples of good claim and supporting reasons, and discuss theirgood features. You may choose to keep the student writer anonymous.• Project student examples that could be improved. You may choose to keep anonymous.Think-aloud about how the supporting reasons could be improved.• Remind students that they have found and evaluated evidence to support their claims;now they need to re-read to find the best examples that support their reasons.IndependentPracticeAssessment• Distribute <strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong>: Rough Plan handout• Explain that this will serve as the mid-unit assessment, and that students shouldcomplete. You may choose to grade this work.Conference with students over their claim, reasons, and examples. Expect thatarticulating reasons why the claim is true will be the most difficult for students.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 14

DRAFTING &MANAGINGTYPES OFEVIDENCEConceptTeachingPointSession 6Extended Examples as Evidence<strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong>ists consider the impact of presenting evidence through an extendedexample.Preparation • Handout: Extended Example Body ParagraphSuggestedMaterialsTeachingPoint 1• Individual texts• Anchor textTEACHER MODEL AND THINK-ALOUDWriters consider the impact of presenting evidence through an extended example.• Distribute the handout Extended Example Body Paragraph.• Read aloud the steps for writing an extended example body paragraph.• Think aloud as you read the model of the extended example body paragraph andidentify which sentences fit with each step.ActiveEngagement• Distribute second Extended Example paragraph• Ask students to underline and label the steps as they find them in the modelparagraph.• Report out their thinkingIndependentPractice• Students follow the steps outlined on the handout Extended Example BodyParagraph to write an extended example body paragraph that supports theirclaimActiveEngagementand Share• Students pair up.• Partners underline and label the steps that the writer followed to write theirextended example body paragraph. Does the paragraph contain all of the steps?This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 15

DRAFTING &MANAGINGTYPES OFEVIDENCEConceptTeachingPointSession 7Constructing Body Paragraphs: Connected Examples<strong>Literary</strong> essayists connect examples to make a key point that shows therelationship between ideas.PreparationMentor essays to analyze format decisionsConnected Examples handoutCreate a Transition Word Ideas chart if needed, like:comparison/contrasttransitions:On the other hand, …But …However, …Both …Each…Either …Neither…cause/effecttransitions:Because…As a result, …So …Since…SuggestedMaterials• Anchor text• Individual textThis document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 17

TeachingPoint<strong>Literary</strong> essayists connect examples to argue for a relationship between ideas.TEACHER MODEL AND THINK-ALOUD• Display handout that contains a connected example body paragraph.• Pose the question: How can I tell these examples are connected?• Think aloud as you read the model of the connected example body paragraphnaming and noticing the different examples, transition words used, andclarification statements that show the relationship between the examples.ActiveEngagementIndependentPracticeShareAssessment• Hand-out the Connected Examples Hand-out.• In partnerships, students now look at a paragraph on the hand-out and underlineand label the components that make the examples connected paragraph.• Conference with students to assess and reinforce the teaching pointStudents review their evidence and determine which pieces will be used to draft aconnected example paragraph. Have students follow the steps outlined on the Handoutto write an connected example body paragraph that supports their claim.TURN-AND-TALK• Students exchange their paragraphs with a partner writing about the same text.• Partners underline and label the components of the connected exampleparagraphs. Does the paragraph seem to have all the parts of a connectedexample paragraph?• Students work with the writer to clarify relationships among the examples or andany questions that arise about clarity.Conference with students who, after working with a partner, need to add components ora connected example paragraph.Optional collection of paragraphs to review before the next sessionThis document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 18

DRAFTING &MANAGINGTYPES OFEVIDENCEConceptSession 8Logically Organizing the <strong>Essay</strong>TeachingPoint<strong>Literary</strong> essayists select and organize their evidence to create a plan for drafting. Theyorganize the reasons that explain the claim in in a way that logically builds theirargument.Preparation • Mentor <strong>Essay</strong>s: Published (a book review, for example) or strong studentexamples (not provided here), projected and copied on handouts• Completed student “Collecting Evidence” handout (from Session 4) and“<strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong>—Rough Plan” (from Session 5).SuggestedMaterialsTeachingPoint• Anchor text• Individual text<strong>Literary</strong> essayists select and organize their evidence to create a plan for drafting. Theyorganize the reasons that explain the claim in in a way that logically builds theirargument.TEACHER MODEL AND THINK-ALOUDActiveEngagement• Ask students what they know about organizing structures for essays.Chronological order, priority order, compare/contrast, cause/effect might besome of their responses. Remind students of the some of the transitions used inthe organizational structures.• Project a mentor essay and talk through its organizational structure. Point outtransitional words that clue you into the essay’s structure• Point out the ways in which the evidence is presented. Look for quoted,paraphrased and summarized examples, clarifying statements, evidence thatconnects, evidence related to conflict, evidence related to pivotal moments,literary devices, etc.• Have students underline and annotate the transitional words and types ofevidence as you think aloud.• Pass out second mentor essay.• In pairs or small groups, ask students to read the mentor essay and annotate theevidence and the transitions. Push them to identify quoted, paraphrased andsummarized examples, clarifying statements, evidence that connects, evidencerelated to conflict, evidence related to pivotal moments, literary devices, etc.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 19

• Ask the students to determine how the essay is organized. What organizationalstructure did the literary essayist use? How does the essay’s organization buildthe argument and support the claim?ShareReport out and discuss their responses.IndependentPracticeUsing their competed “Collecting Evidence” handout, their individual annotated texts,and their “<strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong>—Rough Plan” handout, have decide how best to organize theirevidence to build their argument. Remind them to delete evidence that might weakentheir argument.Conference with them as they do this.AssessmentHave students hand in an “Exit Slip,” where they write down the type of structure theywill use, and a sentence explaining why they chose that structure.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 20

DRAFTING &MANAGINGTYPES OFEVIDENCEConceptTeachingPointSession 9Drafting an Introductory Paragraph<strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong>ists introduce their essay by connecting to readers, including a short summary ofthe text, and presenting the argument through a claim statement.Preparation • Handout: Sample introductory paragraphs• Handout: Introductory paragraphSuggestedMaterialsTeachingPoint• Anchor text• Individual text<strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong>ists introduce their essay by connecting to readers, including a shortsummary of the text, and presenting the argument through a claim statement.TEACHER MODEL AND THINK-ALOUD• Project Handout: Sample Introductory Paragraphs• Think-Aloud what you notice about each introduction sample.An introductory paragraph should include the following:Text Reference: the title and author of the novel or play.Plot Summary: a brief review of the most significant events in the story.Claim: what you believe is the meaning of the story. (This should be disputable. In otherwords, different people will have a different interpretation of the story’s meaning.)Evidence: how you will prove the claim and what content you will use to provide it. Forexample, you will provide examples using one character’s actions or you will provideexamples using several characters’ actions.ActiveEngagement• Use sample introductory paragraph and student essay samples to have smallgroups notice and label how the introduction begins broadly, talking about big topics,and then funnels down to the claim.• Have students use Think Marks (invite students to create a symbol/picture foreach) to label where the writers introduce their literary essay by (1) connect toreaders, (2) include a short summary of the text, and (3) present the argument througha claim.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 21

Think Mark Examples:• Students might draw a chain of links when they see the writer CONNECTS toreaders• Students might draw a book when the writer includes a short summary of thetext• Students might draw a light bulb as the writer presents the argument.ShareIndependentPracticeAssessmentStudents share their think marks with a partner. A few pairs can report out their thinkmarks.Students draft their own introductory paragraphs, including the four steps theyidentified earlier and stating their claim.Conference with students to check progress of introductory paragraphsOptional collection of paragraphs to review before the next sessionThis document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 22

DRAFTING &MANAGINGTYPES OFEVIDENCEConceptTeachingPointSession 10Drafting a Concluding Paragraph<strong>Literary</strong> essayists reread their first draft (introduction and body paragraphs); then theydetermine the type of concluding paragraph to write.Preparation • Handout: Concluding Paragraph SamplesSuggestedMaterialsTeachingPointActiveEngagement• Anchor text• Individual text<strong>Literary</strong> essayists reread their first draft (introduction and body paragraphs); then theydetermine the type of concluding paragraph to write.TEACHER MODEL AND THINK-ALOUD• Project Handout: Concluding Paragraph Samples• Read the introduction and think-aloud how each conclusion sample connects to theintroduction.• Using the sample concluding paragraphs, have small groups notice the componentsand effects of each type of conclusion.CONCLUSION COMPONENTS:• Echoing Intro: same story scene as intro, proving new understanding• Challenging: makes readers think, makes reader consider action, application to life• Questioning: presents an idea to ponder, brings main ideas together and pushes for anew perspectiveShareIndependentPracticeStudents share their thinking as a class. Consider filling in the projected hand-outtogether to identify the components and effects.Students draft their own concluding paragraph, including the components of the type ofparagraph chosen for their essay.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 23

AssessmentAs an exit slip, have students write their claim (or entire introduction) and conclusion.Look them over to see that the two are connected.*The following sessions are ideas on how to complete the writing process within the literary essay. Some samples aregiven under resources, but not all lessons are provided.REVISING ANDEDITING FORCOHESIONTeaching Point*Session 11Peer Conferencing<strong>Literary</strong> essayists use peer reviewers to identify strengths and set goals to reviseusing literary devices to help persuade the audience.REVISING ANDEDITING FORCOHESIONTeaching Point*Session 12Editing<strong>Literary</strong> essayists study grammar usage rules commonly used in essays: commas,ellipsis and dashes to indicate a pause, break or omission. They use thisknowledge to edit their essay.REVISING ANDEDITING FORCOHESIONTeaching Point*Session 13<strong>Literary</strong> essayists make decisions in a final draft to maintain formality andcohesion: a title, citation of evidence, and formatting.REVISING ANDEDITING FORCOHESIONTeaching Point*Session 14<strong>Literary</strong> essayists reflect on their writing decisions and the impact of thosedecisions.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 24

Handouts and AssessmentsEighth <strong>Grade</strong>CCS Curriculum 2011This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 25

PROCESSRUBRICExemplary Proficient DevelopingDEVELOPINGTHEORIES●●●Demonstration evident oftrying multiple differenttheories on themeDemonstration of a variety oftextual evidence gatheringDemonstration of alteringtheories based on textualevidence●●●Demonstration evident of tryinga few different theories onthemeDemonstration of textualevidence gatheringSome demonstration of alteringtheories based on textualevidence●●●Little or no demonstration of tryingdifferent theories on themeLittle or no demonstration oftextual evidence gatheringLittle or no demonstration ofaltering theories based on textualevidenceORGANIZINGEVIDENCETO SUPPORTCLAIMS●●●●Claim created directly connectsto the theory building andevidence gatheredSorting and sifting to find mostrelevant supporting evidence isdemonstratedPlanning of reasons andevidence is clearlydemonstratedPlans demonstrate new andrevised evidence●●●●Claim created has connection tothe theory building andevidence gatheredSorting and sifting to find mostrelevant evidence is attemptedSome planning of reasons andevidence is demonstratedPlans demonstrate some newevidence●●●●Claim created does not connect totheory building and/or evidencegatheringSorting and Sifting of evidence isevident, but not logicallydemonstratedPlanning of evidence needsimprovementNo new evidence is introducedDRAFTINGANDMANAGINGTYPES OFEVIDENCE●●●Planning and organization ofevidence in a logical mannerthat fits the argument ispresentedMultiple drafts of bodyparagraphs utilizing differentapproaches to presentingevidence is demonstratedCohesion between intro, body,and conclusion is demonstratedwith key words and transitions●●●Planning and organization ofevidence is presentedA draft of each body paragraphtrying different approaches topresenting evidence isdemonstratedKey words are used to create aconnection between intro, body,and conclusion paragraphs●●●Little or no planning ororganization of evidence ispresentedLittle drafting of body paragraphsis demonstratedConnections between intro, body,and conclusion paragraphs needsimprovementREVISINGANDEDITING●●●●Conferring, revision and editingwork is clearly demonstratedon draft work and evident infinal copyFocused effort on followingcomma usage rules is clear indrafts and final copyStyle and format are formal innature(Reflection) Writerdemonstrates strong awarenessof the impact his/her writingdecisions have on the reader●●●●Conferring, revision and editingwork is demonstrated on draftwork and mostly carried over tofinal copySome effort on followingcomma usage rules is evident indrafts and final copyStyle and format are mostlyformal in nature(Reflection) Writerdemonstrates some awarenessof the impact of his/her writingdecisions●●●●Little conferring, revision andediting work is demonstrated ondraft work; final copy looks a lotlike initial draftImprovement needed on followingcomma usage rulesStyle and format are casual innature(Reflection) Writer does notdemonstrate much awareness of theimpact of his/her writing decisionsThis document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 26

Prompts to Push Thinking About Theme Session 1• What is the most important moment or two? How might that illustrate thestory’s meaning?• What “big ideas” does the story seem to be about?• What is the character’s major struggle or conflict? What message is sentfrom the way it is resolved?• What does the character learn or realize that readers can learn from?• What does the author write or say that stands out as a part of themessage?Session 1This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 27

Finding Support for THEORIES: Teacher ExampleIn partnerships or small groups, fill out the second row, considering the Gift of the Magi.Your theory should include the main characters in the story. Choose a theory that you feelyou can find support from multiple places in the text and that perhaps has a larger meaningconnected to life. Keep track of your findings in the chart below. You may bullet point yourevidence (you will elaborate on the evidence at another time).Possible Theory Initial Evidence from Text Larger Realization / Meaning?● “...something just a little bitnear to being worthy of the Dell and Jim were thinking about thehonour of being owned by other person. They were being selflessand sacrificial.Jim.”EXAMPLE:Theory #1Dell and Jim both wantedto give the other the bestpresent possible.YOUR GROUP:Theory #2●For there lay The Combs—the set of combs, side andback, that Della hadworshipped long in aBroadway window.Session 1This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 28

Finding Support for TheoriesIndependently, select two theories you created about your own text. Name one that youfeel you can find support from multiple places in the text and that perhaps has a largermeaning connected to life. Keep track of your findings in the chart below. You may bulletpoint your evidence (you will elaborate on the evidence at another time).Possible Theory Initial Evidence from Text Larger Realization / Meaning?Theory #1This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 29

Collecting Evidence for Claims Session 3Reread “Gift of the Magi” to find textual evidence to help prove a claim.Claim There is no greater gift than love. (Possible Examples)_____________________________________________________________________DIRECTQUOTE(S)Pg.“But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who givegifts these two were the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as theyare wisest.”“I don't think there's anything in the way of a haircut or a shave or a shampoothat could make me like my girl any less.”KEY WORDS Pg. …but nobody could ever count my love for you.“And here I have lamely related to you the uneventful chronicle of two foolishchildren in a flat who most unwisely sacrificed for each other the greatesttreasures of their house.”SUMMARY ofKey EventPg.After they opened each other’s presents, Jim suggested that they put their giftsaway. They were too precious and they had sacrificed so much to please theother, unfortunately, neither one of them could use the thoughtful gifts. Byputting the gifts away, they can focus on the gesture, the thoughtfulness of theidea instead of harping on not being able to use the fob and combs.AUTHOR’SDECISION(S)Pg.The author emphasizes the two possessions that James and Della held withpride <strong>–</strong> his watch and her hair. In paragraph #9, it explains their pride forthese things shows the reader both irony and a bit of foreshadowing.The author capitalized “The Watch” in paragraph 19 which suggests to thereader the importance of Jim’s golden watch.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 30

Collecting Evidence for Claims Session 3Reread “Gift of the Magi” to find textual evidence to help prove a claim.Claim: _____________________________________________________________________DIRECTQUOTE(S)Pg.KEY WORDSPg.SUMMARY ofKey EventPg.AUTHOR’SDECISION(S)Pg.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 31

Collecting Evidence: Independent Text Session 3Reread to find textual evidence to help prove your claim.Claim _____________________________________________________________________DIRECTQUOTE(S)Pg.KEY WORDSPg.SUMMARYPg.AUTHOR’SDECISION(S)Pg.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 32

Identifying Reasons to Support a Claim Session 4Write a response to all three questions. Push your thinking based on what you know about the character andhow he or she acts, speaks to other characters, and thinks. You may re-read your text to help you with yourresponses.What people or situations have influenced the character I’m writing about?Why does he or she change?What will continue to hold him or her back?Share your response with a partner or small group. Connect your thinking to come up with three reasonsto support your claim about your character.1.2.3.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 33

LITERARY ESSAY ROUGH PLANSession 5ClaimReason:Supporting Example 1 [direct quotation or important events]Supporting Example 2 [direct quotation or important events]Reason:Supporting Example 1 [direct quotation or important events]Supporting Example 2 [direct quotation or important events]Extended Example—Key event that supports the claimSession 6To write an Extended Example body paragraph:• Write a topic sentence that identifies a turning point or a key internal event for thecharacter in the story that supports the claim.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 34

• Use exact words from the text. (Lift a key phrase, sentence, or short passage.)• Briefly summarize the context for this moment in thesequence of the story.• Explain (interpret) how the line is connected to otherdetails in the moment to illustrate the claim.• Repeat key words from the topic sentence to connectand explain the important moment.Model-Gift of the MagiCLAIM: There is no greater gift than love.Della’s most prized possession was her hair, while Jim’s was his goldpocket watch. Since they are poor, Della sells her hair to get Jim a fob for his pocket watch since he keeps it ona leather strap. Jim sells his watch to get Della the tortoise shell combs for her hair that she had been admiringfor some time. Both characters unwisely sacrificed their greatest treasures for the other and now both gifts areseemingly useless. “But in a last word to the wise of these days let it be said that of all who give gifts these twowere the wisest. O all who give and receive gifts, such as they are wisest.” The gifts that the two loving spousesgive each other become symbols of the love that they feel for each other and that will never be extinguished bytheir poverty. The couple have given and received the wisest and most precious gift - that of love.Connected Example Paragraph:Multiple events from the text that support the same claimSession 7Components of a Connected Example body paragraph:• Topic sentence: Clearly presents the claim to be discussed.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 35

• Evidence: 2-3 events/details from across the text. Use exact words from the text (key phrase,sentence, or short passage.)• Relationships between Examples: Compare/Contrast, Cause/Effect, etc.• Transitional Words: Connects the examples or shows the relationshipbetween examples (see chart).• Brief Summaries: give context for each moment in the sequence of thestory• Clarification: Explain the connections to each other and to the claim.Model-Gift of the MagiCLAIM: There is no greater gift than love.In the beginning of the story, Della’s most prized possession was her hair, while Jim’s was his goldpocket watch. Although the Dillingham’s are poor, they both wanted to purchase an extraordinary gift for theirspouse. Since they didn’t have the money to buy amazing gifts, Della sold her hair to get Jim a fob for hispocket watch since he kept it on a leather strap. Similarly, Jim sold his watch to get Della the tortoise shellcombs for her hair that she had been admiring for some time. Because both characters unwisely sacrificed theirgreatest treasures for the other, now both gifts are seemingly useless. Jim consoles Della after realizing theirerror by saying, “Nobody could ever count my love for you.” The gifts that the two loving spouses gave eachother became symbols of the love that they felt for each other. Neither gift is as important as the thoughtfulnessand loving gesture offered. Material items may come and go, but their passion for each other can never beextinguished by their poverty. The couple have given and received the wisest and most precious gift: that oflove.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 36

Session 8Name _______________________________ Hour______Exit SlipWhat is your argument?List 3-5 pieces of evidence that you feel can be angled to support our argument. List them order ofimportance to your argument:1.2.3.4.5.This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 37

An introductory paragraph could include the following:Text Reference: the title and author of the novel or play.Session 9Plot Summary: a brief review of the most significant events in thestory that are important to your claim .Claim or Thesis Statement: the theory you’ve decided to turn intoa claim to prove; the meaning of the story you are presenting (Thisshould be disputable. In other words, different people could have adifferent interpretation of the story).Evidence: how you will prove the claim and what content you willuse. For example, you will provide examples using one character’sactions or you will provide examples using the author’s use ofcertain devices.Example:“Nobody could ever count my love for you,” James Dillingham Young proclaims to the love of his life, Della inthe short story “Gift of the Magi” by O.Henry. Christmas is quickly approaching and both James and Della(title and author)(summary)want to buy something extraordinary for the other, despite the fact they struggle financially. Each of them hadone precious item to their name they took great pride in, James’ gold watch that had been handed down from hisgrandfather and Della’s beautiful hair. In the end, they both, perhaps unwisely, sacrificed their prizedpossessions to afford a beautiful gift for the other. Neither ended up being able to use the present, but ultimatelyshowed us from the strength of their relationship that there is no greater gift than love.(evidence)(claim)This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 38

Sample Introductory Paragraph from Student <strong>Essay</strong> Session 9In “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, Della and her husband, Jim, live difficultlives in poverty. With barely any money, and Christmas the next day, Della and Jim arein desperate need for more money to be able to buy their spouse a wonderful present.Through the story’s admirable characters, hardships they face, and the strength of theirlove, readers understand that O. Henry is expressing the idea that the wisest gifts arethose from the heart.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------In “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, Della and her husband, Jim, live difficult lives in poverty.(title and author)(summary)With barely any money, and Christmas the next day, Della and Jim are in desperate need for moremoney to be able to buy their spouse a wonderful present. Through the story’s admirable(evidence)characters, description of hardships they face, and a beautiful picture of the strength of their love,reader’s understand that .O. Henry is expressing the idea that the wisest gifts are those from theheart.(claim)This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 39

Introduction: Session 10In “The Gift of the Magi” by O. Henry, Della and her husband, Jim, live difficult lives in poverty. With barelyany money, and Christmas the next day, Della and Jim are in desperate need for more money to be able to buy theirspouse a wonderful present. Through the story’s admirable characters, hardships they face, and the strength of their love,readers understand that O. Henry is expressing the idea that the wisest gifts are those from the heart.Possible Concluding ParagraphsEchoing IntroO. Henry uses Della and Jim to show readers what truly is important: love. On Christmas day, Della and Jim bothsacrificed special possessions in a need for money. It is admirable to give up something special for someone else, but it iseven more admirable to see the strength of Della and Jim’s love in doing so. Della and Jim show that the wisest gifts areunselfish acts expressed through love.Components…Effects on Reader…ChallengingO. Henry uses Della and Jim to show readers what truly is important. On Christmas day, Della and Jim bothsacrificed special possessions in a need for money. Both showed unselfishness to the one they love. It is admirable togive up something special for someone else, but is it admirable to express love through gifts and possessions? Della andJim show that unselfishness for the one you love is truly important, but maybe sacrificing possessions for gifts isn’t thebest expression of that love.Components…Effects on Reader…This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 40

QuestioningThrough O. Henry’s depiction of Jim and Della’s hardships and unending love for one another, he reminds us thatthe wisest gifts are unselfish acts. One could save their money for months or years on end to buy something luxurious forthe one they love, but material items come and go. They break, become out of style and are typically replaced with thelatest and greatest. An unselfish act, an act of love, will be remembered and treasured for eternity. Instead of showering aloved one with objects to show your love, what are you willing to sacrifice for them?Components…Effects on Reader…This document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 41

Name ____________ Date______ Hour____<strong>Literary</strong> <strong>Essay</strong> RubricMeets Expectations Developing BasicIntroduction &Claim Statement-Introduction cohesivelyincludes: connection, summary,claim statement-Introduction clearly presentstheory(ies) as claim(s) to beproven- Introduction includes:connection, summary, claimstatement-Claim statement presentstheory (ies) as claim(s) to beproven-Has only a claim statement toopen the paper-Claim statement does notclearly present claim(s) to beprovenIncomplete/MissingBodyParagraphs:Content(weighted)Claim:-all paragraphs have a clearfocus from the claim using keywordsEvidence:-Examples support claims invarious ways (quoted,summarized, paraphrased)Connections:-Statements are positionedaround all examples to connectthe examples to the claimClaim:-some paragraphs could bemore clear about the focusfrom the claimEvidence:-Examples support claims, butlack variety in presentationConnections:-Statements are positionedaround some examples toconnect the examples to theclaimClaim:- paragraphs still need to stayfocused on claimEvidence:-Many examples weaklysupport the claim and are notquoted or paraphrasedcorrectlyConnections:- Many examples are missingstatements to connect theexamples to the claimIncomplete/MissingOrganization-Evidence presents claim(s) inan effective, logical structure(chronologically, categoricallyor by priority)-Evidence presents claim(s) ina logical structure(chronologically, categoricallyor by priority)-Evidence does not seem to bepresented in a logical structureIncomplete/Missing-Transition words are cohesiveto the structure used-Transition words are cohesiveto the structure used-Transition words areunconnected or not usedThis document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 42

Conventions-Evidence of editing forspelling, capitalization &punctuation (especiallyquotation marks and commas)-Attempts were made to edit,but needs improvement-Lacking conventions; noevidence of editingIncomplete/Missing-Uses formal vocabulary/wordchoice-Vocabulary/word choice is casual-Vocabulary/word choice needsimprovement to be clearThis document is the property of the Michigan Association of Intermediate School Administrators (MAISA). Page 43

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• Page 2 and 3: Key Concepts● Analysis of Literat
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• Page 6 and 7: BUILDINGTHEORIES Session 1ConceptTe
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• Page 10 and 11: ORGANIZINGEVIDENCETO SUPPORTCLAIMSC
• Page 12 and 13: ORGANIZINGEVIDENCE TOSUPPORTCLAIMSC
• Page 14 and 15: ORGANIZINGEVIDENCE TOSUPPORTCLAIMSC
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• Page 23 and 24: DRAFTING &MANAGINGTYPES OFEVIDENCEC
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• ELA 2019 G8:M3:U2:L1

Write an Informative Essay: Analyze a Model

In this lesson, daily learning targets, ongoing assessment.

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Supporting English Language Learners

Materials from previous lessons, new materials, closing & assessments, you are here:.

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Focus Standards:  These are the standards the instruction addresses.

• RL.8.5, W.8.2, W.8.4, L.8.1a

Supporting Standards:  These are the standards that are incidental—no direct instruction in this lesson, but practice of these standards occurs as a result of addressing the focus standards.

• RL.8.1, RL.8.2, RL.8.4, RL.8.10
• I can identify the parts of a model literary analysis essay and explain the purpose of each. ( W.8.2 )
• I can determine criteria for an effective literary analysis essay. ( W.8.2, W.8.4 )
• I can explain the function of gerund and infinitive phrases. ( L.8.1a )
• Opening A: Entrance Ticket
• Work Time A: Annotated, color-coded Model Literary Analysis Essay: Relationship of Structure to Meaning ( W.8.2, W.8.4 )
• Work Time B: Annotated Informative Writing Checklist ( W.8.2, W.8.4 )
• Work Time C: Selected and Constructed Response Questions: Gerund and Infinitive Phrases ( L.8.1a )
• Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 1
• Model Literary Analysis Essay: Relationship of Structure to Meaning
• Informative Writing checklist
• Read the Paint an Essay lesson plan to review the color-coding and purpose of each choice of color.
• Ensure there is a copy of Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 1 at each student's workspace.
• Review the anchor charts used in this lesson: Structure anchor chart and Characteristics of a Literary Analysis Essay anchor chart.
• Post the learning targets and applicable anchor charts (see Materials list).

Tech and Multimedia

• Work Time B: Convert the Model Literary Analysis Essay: Relationship of Structure to Meaning, and invite students to complete it in an online format—for example, http://eled.org/0158 .
• Continue to use the technology tools recommended throughout previous modules to create anchor charts to share with families; to record students as they participate in discussions and protocols to review with students later and to share with families; and for students to listen to and annotate text, record ideas on note-catchers, and word-process writing.

Supports guided in part by CA ELD Standards 8.I.B.6 and 8.I.B.8.

Important Points in the Lesson Itself

• To support ELLs, this lesson includes scaffolded work with analyzing a model compare and contrast essay that uses the Painted Essay® format and analyzing the structure of texts. Students will consider the structure of Maus I and the way in which the author uses dialogue, chronology, and flashbacks to tell his father’s story. Students will participate in a mini lesson on the form and function of gerunds and infinitives and the relationships between words and phrases in sentences (L.8.1a, L.8.5b). The lesson includes collaborative discussion and familiar routines to help students navigate both the writing and language content and skills that they will encounter.
• ELLs may find it challenging to navigate the breadth of concepts and tasks presented in this lesson. Students will be exploring a number of things for the first time: structure in texts, a compare and contrast essay format that identifies similarities and differences in structure within texts, and the grammatical concept of verbals. Encourage students to consider all that they already learned that will inform their work in each portion of this lesson and refer back to content and concepts from Modules 1 and 2 where possible.
• gerund, infinitive (A)

(A): Academic Vocabulary

(DS): Domain-Specific Vocabulary

Paint an Essay lesson plan (for teacher reference) (from Module 1, Unit 3, Lesson 6, Work Time A)

Painted Essay® Template (one per student; from Module 1, Unit 3, Lesson 6, Work Time B)

• Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 1 (answers for teacher reference)
• Model Literary Analysis Essay: Relationship of Structure to Meaning (example for teacher reference)
• Characteristics of a Literary Analysis Essay anchor chart (one for display)
• Informative Writing checklist (example for teacher reference)
• Gerund and Infinitive Phrases anchor chart (example for teacher reference)
• Gerund and Infinitive Phrases anchor chart (one for display; co-created in Work Time C)
• Selected and Constructed Response Questions: Gerund and Infinitive Phrases (answers for teacher reference)
• Structure anchor chart (one for display)
• Homework: Gist, Theme, and Infinitive Phrases (answers for reference) (see Homework Resources)
• Entrance Ticket: Unit 2, Lesson 1 (one per student)
• Model Literary Analysis Essay: Relationship of Structure to Meaning (one per student)
• Informative Writing checklist (one per student and one for display)
• Selected and Constructed Response Questions: Gerund and Infinitive Phrases (one per student)
• Homework: Gist, Theme, and Infinitive Phrases (one per student; see Homework Resources)
• Homework Resources (for families) (see Homework Resources)

Each unit in the 6-8 Language Arts Curriculum has two standards-based assessments built in, one mid-unit assessment and one end of unit assessment. The module concludes with a performance task at the end of Unit 3 to synthesize students' understanding of what they accomplished through supported, standards-based writing.

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For elementary students who are just learning to write, you can use worksheets to practice letter formation. Students in middle and high school can use learning stations to learn how to write and revise essays. With plenty of TPT resources at your fingertips, you can sharpen your student's writing skills in no time. Extend writing activities beyond the classroom and observe as your child nurtures their imagination, enriches their vocabulary, and enhances their storytelling prowess.

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Encourage students to keep daily journals where they can freely express their thoughts, feelings, and experiences. This practice helps them develop their writing style and build the habit of writing regularly.

Writing Prompts

Provide engaging prompts that encourage imaginative storytelling. For instance, you could ask students to write about a world without the internet, or ask them to describe something only using one of their five senses (sight, sound, smell, touch, or taste).

Peer Editing

Have students exchange their written work with a peer for feedback. This helps them strengthen their ability to identify and correct mistakes in grammar, punctuation, and spelling; give constructive criticism; and revise their writing based on feedback.

Sentence and Paragraph Construction

Provide sentence and paragraph building exercises to help students understand the basic structure of writing and how to organize their ideas coherently.

Letter Writing

Ask students to write letters to real or fictional recipients. They could compose formal letters, persuasive letters on specific topics, thank-you notes, or postcards.

Create a classroom blog where students can publish their writing for a wider audience. This teaches them to write for a purpose and consider their audience's perspective.

Research Papers

Guide students through the process of researching and writing informative or argumentative essays. Teach them how to construct persuasive arguments and counterarguments on various topics, include evidence, and cite sources.

Poetry Writing

Explore different forms of poetry, such as haikus, sonnets, and free verse. Encourage students to experiment with imagery, rhythm, and metaphor.

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